Vulgar Ascension
by Gallows Hill six-stringer
Summary: MAGE-The Ascension; rated for language, violence, some sexuality, drug references. An unlikely trio of mages battle the Technocracy and fight for humanity. PLEASE R+R!


DISCLAIMER: Mage-The Ascension, the 'Traditions', the Technocracy, and most of the other goodies here are property of White Wolf, Inc. The story itself and the characters, though, are mine! The author intends no challenge to the copyright. To the readers, enjoy!  
  
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Jared sped past the sign that said, for all intents and purposes, "Welcome To Wyoming". Damned welcoming state, Jared thought to himself bitterly. All he saw was a small town here and there, but overall nothing but wasteland, much like Nebraska before him. Except Nebraska had corn fields to break up the monotony-almost nothing but. At first, his trip from his home state of Indiana promised to be an adventure. At first it was, but it quickly became an adventure of boredom. If it weren't for his magickal ability, he would've probably been dead before leaving Iowa, out of money, out of gas, and starved.  
  
Jared Stanton is a Mage of the Cult Of Ecstasy. His guitar teacher, called Trips, impressed with young Jared's surprisingly mature philosophy as well as his ease of learning guitar, took it upon himself to Awaken the young prodigy. Since that time, Jared was a willing, if somewhat irritating, pupil. Whereas Trips was a Woodstock hippy who never quite fit into the establishment, Jared was always a rather intense young man with aspirations towards anarchy and death metal. Although the two were as different as night and day, they both had the same belief that in the current stasis that was choking society, humanity could never transcend. His teacher did what he could to temper the young man's fire with moderation, but always encouraged him to grow. It was Trips that encouraged Jared to move on to newer surroundings in San Francisco. Not only was that always considered the hippy capitol of the United States, but it was also the birthplace of the thrash and speed metal movement, thus an ideal environment for Jared to grow. All Jared was told was that his teacher knew of a young Mage outside of San Fran who could help him further. Any further details were met with surprisingly hostile resistance.  
  
Jared's remeniscing was cut short by flashing red and blue lights in his rear view mirror. "Fuck!" Jared said and pulled the car over.  
  
Sure enough, a state trooper who had one too many donuts during his career and too few pulled-over motorists that day walked cockily towards the car. The cop sauntered over to the now opened window and said in a thick drawl "Where are you goin' in such a hurry, boy?"  
  
Jared handed over his license, registration and insurance and said "I'm sorry officer. I didn't realize how fast I was going."  
  
"You didn't answer my question, boy," the trooper growled. "Where the hell are you going?"  
  
"I'm driving to San Francisco."  
  
"Figured - some goddamn long-haired hippy. Mind stepping out of the car?"  
  
Jared had a feeling something like this would happen. He took a cigarette out of his pack on the dashboard, shook it, and put it in his mouth. As he lit it, he looked in the trooper's eyes and said "I'm sure that would not be necessary."  
  
The trooper's eyes glazed over for a moment, then he shook his head and looked at Jared. Jared smiled at him. The trooper then threw Jared's license and paperwork at him and stormed off to his cruiser. Jared waited for long, tense moments until the cruiser sped off. Jared breathed a sigh of relief and turned the key in the ignition, but got no response. "Goddamn Paradox," he muttered. He looked toward the sky and said "Look, it was either risk a little vulgar Mind magick or become some redneck's cornhole."  
  
He turned the key again and the car roared to life. He knew damned well what a risk he had taken. The trooper could very well have been an agent for the New World Order, or worse, a HIT Mark for Iteration X. He was fortunate to get a little warning from a Paradox spirit. Normally, Jared was strictly into coincidental magick. His teacher had risked too much vulgar magick back in his day and was paying the price. The least of his teacher's worries was a constant tic in his left eye. Trips also saw constant hallucinations in his left eye (hence why he was called "Trips"), and every now and again he would have flashbacks of his Paradox prison. Vowing never to go through that, Jared swore by coincidental magick, deviating only when he considered the risk necessary.  
  
He drove back out on the highway, remembering to keep the speed down to the posted limit. In truth, Jared was powerful enough to do a lot more. Because of Trips' tutelage, Jared was practically able to turn the trooper into a toad with a snap of his fingers. "But with great power," Trips said, "comes great responsibility, man. Unless you want to have a constant trip happenin' in your left eye, you just remember that."  
  
Jared never forgot. Even when Jared risked vulgar magick, he kept it to a minimum and not too vulgar. Without any further incident, Jared drove on.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sasha woke up with a start. She had another vision, and while it wasn't troubling, getting such a vivid vision always jolted her. She had dreamed that an out-of-tune lute had arrived on her doorstep, and although she never learned how to play the lute, she somehow knew how to tune it and then play it beautifully. It was then when she woke up. She had remembered how she had lost the guitar player in her band, not coincidentally called Vulgar Ascension. It was a grisly night for her - she remembered the phone call she had gotten from her keyboard player, a Virtual Adept who called himself DeKonstruct. She remembered the conversation like it happened only yesterday...  
  
"Sasha, it's Mark."  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
"The HIT got to him....there's...not much left of him."  
  
She choked and said, "How do you know?"  
  
"Iteration X emailed me the pictures."  
  
She since prayed to the One for Mark's soul every day. There was always a tense rivalry between the two. While Sasha was a devout member of the Celestial Chorus, Mark was a Verbena. The three of them should never have even been allowed in the same room, but they recognized their common goal and their common enemy, and were always able to set aside their rivalries. Their goal with Vulgar Ascension was clear - the removal of the shackles on humanity and together, they would lead humanity to Ascension through music. Fans and critics alike praised them for not only their mesh of electronic beats, heavy guitars, and angelic vocals, but their positive, non-sectarian message behind the music. They also drew praise for their stage show, which critics could only say "You have to see it to believe it. I saw it, and I don't quite believe it." Of course, they practiced magick onstage, not only through their music. Sometimes, they were quite blatant, but they made sure it could be explained away through special effects. Their few detractors always could be heard muttering such things as "I could see the strings" or "I saw Manson do that in '95, and it was cheesy even then".  
  
The Mage community had long ago taken notice of Vulgar Ascension, and had mixed reactions to them. The younger and the more liberal-minded Magi of course praised them for their unique music and methods of "hiding in plain sight". The San Francisco cabal of the Cult Of Ecstasy has supported the band's vision from the beginning and did what they could to promote the pioneering band. Ironically, even the more conservative Choristers supported the band, and not just for the fact that one of their own was apparently leading the band. The local Hermetics and Euthanati had a more hostile attitude toward them, being rather set in their beliefs and their methods. They also warned the band that they were just asking for the Technocracy to come knocking at their doors if they kept it up. It seemed that the warnings were prophetic, Mark being the one who paid the ultimate price. But that only strengthened the band's resolve. Before they even picked up their instruments together, they came to a mutual understanding of the risks they were taking. She knew, DeKon knew, and dammit Mark knew, too. They all believed that the risk was small compared to their ultimate quest, and that even if it meant the loss of their lives, their goal was far more important.  
  
But Sasha was no fool. She felt that their chances of survival would increase if she and DeKon and whatever bandmate that came along all lived under the same roof. Since DeKonstruct moved in, it wasn't easy. He was certainly not an easy person to live with. His personal habits were irritating and other than in his musical aspirations, he was lazy as hell. Thankfully, because he was a whiz with computers ("elite as fuck", he would tell her), his share of the rent and utilities was never a problem. In fact, he was quite generous with his resources. Because of him, they were able to get a choice piece of real estate about 50 miles from San Francisco out in the boonies. The circumstances seemed, in fact, almost coincidental. But when they happened, all she would get out of DeKon was a wink and a grin. Yes, she thought, he's a pain, he smells, but it's always good to have an Adept on my side.  
  
DeKon had moved in a month prior to her visions. She knew that the One was trying to reach her. Each vision was completely different from the other, but they all seemed to say the same thing: that Mark's replacement would literally show up on her doorstep. DeKon continually told her that they should start papering the town, but she stated that the One would see them through, and that what the One was telling her would come to be. "Besides," she'd told him. "Would you risk possibly hiring a Sleeper who'd end up bringing us down? Besides, holding open auditions would practically be holding a neon sign telling the Technocracy where we were."  
  
That had always been her winning argument. So they spent their downtime composing new material, which staved off both their impatience for the time. This in fact had been the one day they both decided to take a rest from practicing and composing. Sasha laid back down when she heard the doorbell go off. She bolted back up and put on a bathrobe. She went to the security display (which DeKonstruct 'constructed') and switched it on. She saw the fuzzy image of a long-haired person wearing a leather jacket. Satisfied that this wasn't a Technocracy agent, she walked to the door. Upon opening it, she was taken aback with what she saw. He was tall, just a hair over six feet. His long black hair tumbled past his shoulders down to his rear end. Most striking of all were his bright blue eyes, which were slightly bloodshot from exhaustion. He had bags under his eyes from lack of restful sleep, but overall, he was quite handsome. On the street behind him, she could see a van with smoke billowing out from its open hood. "I'm really sorry, ma'am," he said politely, with an ever- so-slight Midwestern accent, "but my van broke down and I was wondering if I could use your phone to call Triple-A to get it towed."  
  
"Oh it's no trouble," Sasha said, "please come in."  
  
He stepped in and she looked outside quickly, shutting the door behind him. "So, where are you heading?" she asked him.  
  
"I'm heading out to San Fran, hopefully to find fame and fortune," he said with a smile.  
  
"So where are you from?"  
  
"Just outside of Indianapolis. Been driving for over a week almost non-stop."  
  
"By the One, you must be tired!" Sasha exclaimed and then covered her mouth, realizing her slip.  
  
The young man simply raised an eyebrow and extended his hand. "My name's Jared, Jared Stanton. And you are...?"  
  
"Sasha...Sasha St. Maurice," she said, taking his hand firmly. "Do you have any place to stay?"  
  
"No, I don't. I figured I could find a hotel somewhere nearby while I waited for my car to get fixed."  
  
"Well, I've got room if you need a place to stay for the night."  
  
Jared looked at her suspiciously and said, "No, ma'am. I couldn't impose on you like that. Besides, no offense, but you don't know me and I don't know you..."  
  
Sasha cut him off and said, "It wouldn't be imposing, but I do understand. At least let me get you something to eat while you wait for the tow truck."  
  
Jared thought a moment and couldn't deny the sudden grumbling in his stomach. He smiled and said, "Okay, you twisted my arm. So where's the phone?"  
  
"Right here," Sasha said, motioning with her hand.  
  
She then offered to take his jacket, which Jared accepted. While taking his jacket, she noticed a tattoo of a lily on his left arm, which she recognized immediately as the symbol of the Cult Of Ecstasy. Behind it was a Warlock guitar with blood soaking the body. "Thank you," Jared said and picked up the phone.  
  
She left for the kitchen, making sure to make her pendant of the Chorus' symbol visible. She whispered a minor rote and then began looking in the refrigerator. She was soon joined in the kitchen by Jared, who sat down at the kitchen table. "They told me that it would be about 45 minutes, which knowing Triple-A, it'll take about an hour and a half," he said chuckling.  
  
Sasha smiled and handed an open bottle of Michelob to Jared. "Seeing as it's going to take a while," she said with a wink. "Do you smoke?"  
  
"Cigarettes, yes definitely. Pot, very rarely."  
  
"Hmmm, unusual for an Ecstatic."  
  
Jared put his bottle down on the table, almost dropping it. He glared at her with undisguised shock. She just looked down at her pendant and looked back at him. He looked at the pendant and recognized it. Although he only met a couple of them, he knew that the symbol was that of the Celestial Chorus. "Don't worry," she said with a smile, "I'm not going to preach at you."  
  
"Hmmm," he smirked, "unusual for a Chorister."  
  
"My duty, as I see it, is to help humanity reach Ascension and in the process, reach my own. Not to convert the unwilling. Better to have the Sleepers follow their own path to Ascension willingly than to have them follow mine unwillingly."  
  
Jared nodded and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..."  
  
Sasha held up her hand and said "No apologies necessary. Many of the Chorus try to force their own views of the One onto the Sleepers. I feel that people should find the One in their own way. So yes, I am unusual for a Chorister. In fact, I should be the one apologizing to you. I shouldn't have put you on the defensive like that, and I shouldn't be making such sweeping generalizations about anyone."  
  
Jared smiled and said "It's all good. Yeah, a lot of the Ecstatics I've met, including my teacher, indulge a little more than they should. Yeah, I've had my share of pot, mushrooms, and peyote, but I prefer fighting the Technos with a clear head. Besides, the Sleepers rarely listen to stoners. That ended with Woodstock, man. The Sleepers need a loud wake-up call, not passive resistance."  
  
"And you intend to do that with Marshalls cranked to 11?" Sasha asked.  
  
"Actually, I use Peaveys, but yeah, that's the general idea," Jared replied with a smile. "Peavey Triple-X, a custom Les Paul, custom Warlock...I've got my entire arsenal in the back of my van."  
  
"How good are you?" she asked with a smirk.  
  
Jared smirked back and said "I can hold my own pretty well."  
  
"Well, it just so happens that my band needs a guitar player. Our last one had to leave after a meeting with Iteration X and we've been looking for one ever since."  
  
Jared shuddered and said "I understand. What type of music do you do?"  
  
"Ever heard of Vulgar Ascension?"  
  
When Jared shook his head, she got up and retrieved a CD. It bore the image of a steel crucifix with a robotic Christ figure set upon a background that looked like a computer board. Placing the disc in the stereo, she handed the case to Jared. "Check this song out...it's called 'Digital Conformity'...you won't believe the controversy we've gotten for that album cover."  
  
"Oh, I believe it," Jared said.  
  
"So what are your influences?" Sasha asked him.  
  
"Oh, I started out being totally into Vader, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Suffocation, Incantation...I've since been getting into stuff like Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest." Jared paused and listed to the music. It reminded him of Rammstein with operatic female vocals and Celtic melodies. The effect was chilling, but the music itself was catchy as hell and he couldn't help but like it. "I could really get into this..." he said.  
  
"What does it make you think of?" she asked.  
  
Jared thought for a moment and said "I think of tradition and purity being choked by The Machine, begging to be set free. Much like how the Technocracy is choking Reality. But I also hear the old and new ways reconciling and breaking the chains in triumph."  
  
"That's exactly the message we're trying to get across!!" Sasha stood and exclaimed. "Exactly!!"  
  
Jared looked through the CD Liner notes, reading the lyrics. He looked up at her and said, "And you say you need a guitar player?"  
  
When Sasha nodded, Jared said, "On second thought, I think I will stay the night. In fact, if I can, I'd like to audition tomorrow."  
  
Sasha sank back into her chair and exhaled seemingly in relief. "I was hoping you'd say that."  
  
Just then, a guy in a stained bathrobe and boxer shorts stepped into the room. "What the fuck....?! Sash, who's this guy?"  
  
"DeKon, this is Jared. He will be auditioning tomorrow. Get your equipment ready for tomorrow morning. The One tells me tomorrow's going to be a long day."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," the man said. "Dude, don't let her religious mumbo jumbo get to you." With that, he stumbled off.  
  
"I surprised he pried himself away from his computer," Sasha said.  
  
"Adept?" Jared asked.  
  
"Yep. Don't let his attitude get to you; he's really a good person."  
  
"No prob." With that, he felt his eyelids getting heavy and his head nodding. "Look, I hate to be antisocial, but it looks like my travelling has gotten to me finally..."  
  
"Say no more, I have a bed all set for you..." She got up and led Jared to the extra bedroom. "The bathroom is down the hall to the left, and if you want a beer later tonight, feel free to raid the fridge. Are you going to need anything?"  
  
"No, you've done much for me already," Jared said with not a little bit of gratitude.  
  
"Okay. My room is next door if you need someone to talk to..."  
  
"Thank you...good night."  
  
"Good night."  
  
Jared looked around. The bedroom was sparsely decorated, but welcoming. The bed was simple, but quite soft and comfortable. It was almost as if it was waiting for a new permanent occupant. He shrugged it off and walked to the hallway. Sitting on the hamper was a clean bathrobe, a neatly folded pair of black sweatpants, and a gray tank top. On top was a note reading "Just in case you wanted to take a shower. -S-"  
  
Thinking a shower would do him a great deal of good, he started the faucet and began to undress. He looked into the mirror and noticed that he looked like absolute hell. "Yep, a shower and about 14 hours of sleep will do me some good."  
  
After taking his shower, he went back to the bedroom, crawled under the covers, and went fast asleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jared woke up and saw that all of his things were neatly set in the bedroom. Everything except his musical instruments and his half-stack. He dug through his bags and pulled out a pair of leather pants and his favorite t-shirt, a souvenir from the Mercyful Fate/Nevermore tour back in 2000. He grabbed a hairbrush and pulled the tangles out of his hair and then stepped out in the hall. Immediately, his senses were assaulted by the smell of frying sausage and French toast. He looked in the kitchen and saw Sasha, still in her bathrobe. He smiled and said "Good morning!!"  
  
"Good morning!" she said. "I hope you slept well?"  
  
"I hadn't slept that well in years," he said sincerely. He looked out the window and saw his van parked in the driveway. "By the way, thanks for unloading and moving my van."  
  
"Oh, not a problem," Sasha said. "I wonder what could've been wrong with it. It started up fine for me this morning."  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"As far as DeKon can tell, there's absolutely nothing wrong with your van. There's no evidence of Paradox spirits either."  
  
"Yeah, man," a voice behind him said. Jared turned around and saw DeKon. The man he saw was the total opposite of the man he met the previous night. He was quite tall and lanky, wearing vinyl pants and a fishnet wife-beater. His blue hair was set in spikes. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself last night," he said. "My name's DeKonstruct." With that, he extended his hand, which Jared clasped firmly. "From the looks of your van, it seemed that someone or something intended for you to break down here."  
  
"Or some One?" Sasha asked with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," DeKon said. "Anyways, you were meant to break down in front of our house, man. As much as I tend to groan about Sasha's prattling about the One, it seems sometimes she's right."  
  
"What do you mean?" Jared asked.  
  
"You see, dude," DeKon said, "she apparently had a dream where we'd find our new guitar player literally on our doorstep. That was apparently two hours before you showed up."  
  
Jared whistled and sat down. "But I've never even played for you, yet. For all you know, I could royally suck at the guitar. Or I could be totally incompatible with you guys."  
  
"As far as compatibility," Sasha began, "I wouldn't worry too much. I mean, if a Chorister can be in a band with an Adept, then you shouldn't have any problem. Besides, our quests seem to be the same. As far as your talent...I saw your guitars and your picks...the strings look freshly replaced, the picks look very worn and well-used, and your guitars look 'loved' but well taken care of. Your half-stack looks like it's had its fair share of action, plus I could smell the beer that must've been spilled on it. Jared, I can tell that you're not only talented, but you're also experienced, even if it was only frat parties that you were asked to stand in with."  
  
"Wow, you're good," Jared said.  
  
Sasha simply shrugged and said "So, how many sausages and pieces of French toast are you good for?"  
  
"Three of each, please!" Jared said, smiling widely.  
  
"That's one quality you share with the rest of the Ecstatics.a healthy appetite. I've never seen one turn down food."  
  
"Yeah," Jared said, "that's 'cause more than half of 'em's got the munchies."  
  
"Orange juice.coffee.?"  
  
"Both," Jared said.  
  
Sasha placed a full plate in front of Jared, with a glass of orange juice and a mug of coffee. Afterwards, she placed a bowl of sugar, a tub of artificial sweetener packets, and a carton of creamer on the table. "Thank you very much," Jared said.  
  
Sasha just smiled and walked into her bedroom. "Dude," DeKon said, "I do give Sasha a hard time, but she's one of the good ones. She makes sure people are taken care of."  
  
"A quality she shares with many of the Choristers," Jared said. "Yeah, a lot of them are religious fanatics, but most of them are genuinely good people. I've never heard of a single one of them turn away someone in need. Hell, if a hungry Nephandus came to one of their doorsteps, they'd probably feed him."  
  
DeKon laughed and said "Yeah, you're probably right. Hey man, I'll be downstairs. I gotta finish setting up my equipment." He then put a notebook on the table in front of Jared. "Here's some chord sheets for our music. Just try and follow us as best you can." With that, he walked off.  
  
Jared nodded and looked over the sheets. Flipping through them, he realized that many of the progressions were pretty straightforward. He figured he shouldn't have too much trouble - he'd just some time to familiarize himself with the rhythms. He looked through the sheets some more while listening to the CD.  
  
When he finished eating, he found his way to the basement. He saw that all of his equipment was set up and plugged in. DeKon was at his workstation fiddling with some knobs and testing the volume. "Need to tune up?" he asked.  
  
"Most likely, yeah," Jared said, picking up his black customized Les Paul.  
  
"Those are some nice fuckin' guitars, man," DeKon said. "Never seen a Les Paul with a Floyd Rose."  
  
"Yeah, built both of 'em myself from mail-order parts. Gives 'em their own special magick," Jared said with a smile.  
  
Jared tuned both guitars and then adjusted the volume on his amp. He then ran through a few scales and nodes, then a few of his favorite riffs. He played through one of them when DeKon said, "'Spinning Jenny' from Skyclad. Damned good song, man."  
  
Jared looked up at him in shock. "Dude," DeKon said, "I've got nearly 8,000 CDs. I've got everything Skyclad's ever released, including some bootlegs. That band kills."  
  
"I just never expected a Virtual Adept to be into them," Jared said.  
  
"Our last guitar player worshipped them," DeKon said. "He got me into those guys. Ever since he died, I can't listen to 'The One Piece Puzzle' without bawling my eyes out. He was a good guy, Verbena or not."  
  
"Well, let's see about me learning some of these songs," Jared said with a sigh.  
  
"Right...umm....'Deux Ex Machina'?"  
  
Jared nodded and DeKon started playing. Remembering where he was supposed to start, Jared started playing. They continued playing different songs, occasionally playing a few cover tunes, when Sasha came down into the basement. Jared let out a low whistle when he saw her. While before he saw a very plain, very disheveled young woman when he first met her, right now, she looked like a goddess from some cyberpunk movie. She wore a red, gauzy and skintight blouse with tight leather pants. Her hair was dyed a hot shade of red.  
  
"Umm...Earth to Jared," DeKon said.  
  
Jared shook his head and apologized. "Man," DeKon said, "the guy acts like he's never seen a Chorister before. Anyways, shall we?"  
  
With a nod from each of them, they began playing. Right away, Sasha and DeKonstruct realized that this was in fact the guitarist they had been waiting for. His style was definitely different from Mark's; Mark had always been a technical player, very 'by rote'. Jared, on the other hand, seemed to be going as much by feel as by technique. Mark's leads had consisted of more sweep arpeggios while Jared seemed to bend and divebomb more. And Mark tended to be more laid back and more sedentary, while Jared never stayed in one place for very long, thrashing his hair around. They both felt that while Mark had been a very important member and a beloved friend, Jared had many qualities Mark lacked; qualities they felt Vulgar Ascension needed. They played through the album at least three times, as well as touching on newer material and playing through a few cover songs.  
  
That night, the three of them sat in the living room. "So," Jared began, "do I get the job?"  
  
DeKon laughed hysterically and Sasha said, "Oh yes, you've got the job. Welcome to Vulgar Ascension, and welcome to California."  
  
"Thanks," Jared said, raising his beer bottle.  
  
"Dude," DeKon began, "I've never seen ANYONE play with as much attitude as you. Not only that, but you looked like you were REALLY feelin' it."  
  
"You wanna know my secret?" Jared asked. When they nodded, he said, "My guitars are my foci. Mark probably just played when he was up there with you. And he played damned well, don't get me wrong. That's why I was a bit worried that I might not make the band. But when I'm playing, I'm actually working magick when I do. And the beauty is that most of the time, it's all coincidental magick! And besides, it wouldn't need to be vulgar when I'd be onstage with you guys, 'cause anyone who's coming to see us is feeling what we're about already. All I'd be doing with my magick is giving 'em a bit of a boost."  
  
"I could tell there was something magickal about the way you played," Sasha said, taking a swig off her beer. "I've heard some Cultists play before, but none played with as much rage as you did. All I can think is that the energy from you amplified what I was doing and how I was feeling. I've never been quite as exhausted after a gig as I am now after a simple audition."  
  
"Sash," DeKon said, "this was not some 'simple audition'. I think VA went through a sort of rebirth. For my own part, I've never heard us sound quite as tight as we did down there. When we stopped, I felt as if had been working out for a week."  
  
"Well," Sasha said, "I have to say that I've never seen you actually move as much as you did just then."  
  
DeKon said, "Well, I felt unusually energized during the whole thing. Yep, I think our boy Jared will be good for us. And if he's like any of the other Cultists I know, we should have more fun now!" He laughed and then looked up and said, "Sorry, Mark. We still love ya, man." He raised his beer bottle in toast, to which Sasha and Jared clinked their beer bottles. "Welcome to the band, Jared," DeKon concluded. "To Vulgar Ascension, and to kicking the Technos' asses!"  
  
"Hear, hear," Sasha and Jared said in unison.  
  
"Yeah," Jared said, "although I'm not much on drugs for recreational purposes, I still like to party."  
  
He then raised his beer bottle in toast and said, "I propose a toast to Mark. I never met him, but I feel like I'm close to him in spirit already. May I always do his compositions justice, and may he always be remembered with honor."  
  
Sasha and DeKon emphatically said "To Mark," and clinked their beer bottles to Jared's.  
  
A few hours later, DeKon went back into his room and logged into his computer. "Does he ever sleep?" Jared asked.  
  
"Not that I've ever seen. I think he sleeps while logged onto the net," Sasha said. "It's his way."  
  
Jared shrugged and said, "Well, I'm gonna turn in myself. I want to work on the newer material tomorrow, maybe even contribute some of my own."  
  
"I'm really looking forward to hearing that. Good night," Sasha said, kissing his cheek.  
  
"Good night," he said.  
  
That night, Jared dreamed that he was playing a show with the band. Afterwards, he was approached by a tall figure with long, dirty blond hair. Jared knew he had never met the man before, but he seemed very familiar to him. The man just walked up to him and clasped Jared's hand, clapping him on the shoulder. He then looked into Jared's eyes, nodded, and smiled. "Thanks, man," he said to him, then turned around and walked away. Jared looked at him as he walked away and noticed the symbol of the Verbena emblazoned on his leather jacket. The man then disappeared into the crowd. With that, Jared woke up. He looked at the window and saw that it was still dark out, so he settled back into bed.  
  
"Good-bye, Mark," Jared said, going back to sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Months went by. Jared worked feverishly with his new friends, taking the time to contact his family and Trips periodically. The period of adjustment was surprisingly brief. He hardly ever saw DeKon outside of practice. Jared felt that it would be best to give the reclusive synth player his space. He also kept his distance from Sasha, except during practice, but for different reasons. DeKon had a tendency to be a bit gruff with everyone, but was quick to praise and quick to laugh. Sasha, however, always regarded Jared warmly. She couldn't deny her attraction to the young guitarist, and she could feel that the attraction was mutual. It was quite obvious during practices, where they would occasionally grind against each other during his solos. This hadn't gone unnoticed by DeKon, who took every opportunity to rib Jared about it, and then complain to Sasha about being left out. All in all, they had great fun while they worked seriously at their art.  
  
Sasha noticed, however, that Jared tended to keep his distance from her outside of practice. Jared felt a strong attraction for Sasha. That much was obvious. However, he didn't want to upset the balance between the three of them. During practice and onstage was one thing; offstage and in the home was quite another. Jared figured he would explain his feelings to her when the time is right.  
  
All in all, Jared couldn't be happier. He knew that together with his new bandmates, they could bring the music world and the Technocracy to their knees. Most importantly, he knew in his heart that together, they can change lives. 


End file.
